Calhoun Community College receives $500,000 for disadvantaged nursing students

DECATUR, Alabama -- Calhoun Community College has received $500,000 to benefit disadvantaged students in the nursing program.

The funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is designated for Scholarships for Disadvantaged Students program. According to Calhoun, the college will receive a total of $500,000 over a four-year period to fund scholarships for eligible students enrolled in the associate degree nursing program.

According to Dr. Debi Hendershot, dean for Calhoun's Planning,
Research and Grants Department, the only requirements for students to be
eligible is that they must have a documented unmet need which is
determined by the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid); be
from a disadvantaged background; and be enrolled in the college's
Associate Degree nursing program as a full-time student.

"We are extremely pleased to once again be selected as a recipient of the SDS grant," Hendershot said. "This additional support for our Nursing students is a definite 'shot in the arm' as they pursue their degree," Hendershot added. Calhoun has received funding from the SDS program since 2005.

The scholarships will be awarded to full-time Associate Degree Nursing students for the Fall and Spring semesters. The amount each eligible student will receive varies depending on the documented unmet financial need. Based on the grant requirements, students enrolled in the college's Licensed Practical Nursing (LPN) program are not eligible.